User blog:FenchurchSt/Diagnosing Murdoch-- James Gillies
I’m starting with James Gillies because I don’t know. While being a complete monster, his diagnosis is pretty simple, in my opinion: Antisocial Personality Disorder: Sociopathy/Psychopathy (most likely Primary Psychopathy) and Machiavellianism . The Antisocial side of this is evidenced by his lack of a conscience. Gillies will kill whoever, no matter how sad their story is. It is estimated that over 75% of all people in prison now for violent crimes show behavior consistent with an ASPD. He kills, not out of bloodlust or anything like that, but because it’s simply a means to an end or overzealous vengeance for perceived wrongdoing (Robert Perry). A distinct lack of or intense reduction of fear is a common trait of a psychopath, and boldness is certainly something Gillies has in abundance. A common trait amongst almost all people diagnosed with an ASPD is an issue with authority figures, making them actively hostile toward people such as teachers, doctors, and police officers. He has a dual relationship with Detective Murdoch, partially marked by his rage that he was bested by a man whose job it is to stop people like him. The Machiavellian side of him overlaps quite a bit with the traits of a psychopath and is evidenced by his inability to make emotional connections in spite of his ability to mimic human social interactions so effectively that he fools people into getting close to him and believing his promises. He can emulate friendship, trust, and gentility, but he has none of those things. He is, essentially, unnaturally cool-headed and polite. While Machiavellians have difficulty with interpersonal emotional responses (due to what is called “low emotional intelligence”), they are not free of “feeling.” The concepts of comfort, desire, ambition, anger, survival, victory, etc. are most definitely intact and functioning. He pretends to be friends with Robert Perry, who buys it wholeheartedly. Gillies, however, was only simulating friendship: calling him by his first name, asking how he’s feeling, putting a hand on his back in a comforting way, etc. while he allowed Perry to purchase all of the supplies for the weapon and write the note to the girl, causing him to be the only one that could reasonably be linked to the Professor’s murder (if anyone managed to figure that far into it). The other part of Gillies’ fascination with Murdoch is his interest in Murdoch’s feelings (non-personally); he even describes “The Murdoch Trap” as an experiment on the concept of love. (Unfortunately, there is hardly a disorder that can account for both his intelligence and his behavior. Typically ASPD is marked by those with low intelligence and poor planning skills and Machiavellians tend to be around average intelligence; however, those personality disorders don’t altogether exclude those of above average intelligence. In fact, some theorize that those with these personality disorders that are very intelligent are simply smart enough to stay out of trouble.) For the time, such diagnoses were unheard of. Many people who were Antisocial were just considered run-of-the-mill violent criminals and their treatment was pretty much just a hanging or a jail sentence. Due to the nature of people with Antisocial Disorders, therapy isn’t much of an option even nowadays due to their common difficulty with people of authority, which they’ll come to see their therapist as. Machiavellians, on the other hand, while possessing a trait that is ideal for an “unfeeling and ambitious criminal,” most are not actual criminals and have the foresight to know that if they committed a crime, there would be consequences (and consequences aren’t in their game plan). Basically, they were, and are still, mostly indistinguishable from ordinary people. For the most part, “high Machs” are harmless, but they can be difficult to keep a relationship with because of their coldness, in spite of their ability to form them fairly easily. Machiavellians are convincing and duplicitous people, due to having learnt to pretend to react to social cues; they are keen observers and know how to illicit specific reactions from people. In fact, due to being so impersonal, many high Machs could be considered “more sane” than most people for not allowing their emotions to “get in the way.” I.e., realistically, in his time, there would have been no chance to plea insanity and he would have been labeled a monster as opposed to insane and fit for an istitution (just as it was in the show). Modern times would be exactly the same as there is no cure, therapy, or treatment that can change or rehabilitate such a person, and in spite of knowing their mental affliction, such people are held responsible for their own actions. [If you are at all curious about how “the kiss” from “A Midnight Train to Kingston” fits into this diagnosis, then I have an explanation for you right here. This clarification is only an afterthought to serve the people who are unsure about how someone with this diagnosis could participate in the inherently emotional act of kissing. The act could be one of 3 things: It could have been a simple distraction. To someone not expecting it, wanted or unwanted, a kiss is a disarming thing. As an observant sociopath/high Mach, Gillies would know that. He certainly didn’t hesitate to beam Murdoch in the side of the head afterword. Gillies could have also been acting on his curiosity of love and closeness between people. As a Machiavellian, the intense rivalry he feels toward the detective and his determination to best him is one of the strongest and most passionate feelings he could likely experience, so perhaps he felt it a connection worth that action. It certainly fits with what he was literally saying prior to it. Most compellingly (in regards to my diagnosis), it could have also been one final act of defiance toward Murdoch. Being one that is seemingly above shame it wouldn’t affect Gillies any, but it would certainly be upsetting to someone such as the detective. This more fits with the tone of what he was saying before the kiss. Due to the duplicity of both psychopaths and high Machs, insincerity is almost a given. It could also be some combination of these… or it could have just been a bit of fanservice… I wouldn’t know; I didn’t write that episode, now did I?] Wow, that was a lot of writing for something one person might read almost halfway through and then get bored of. Expect more, probably. Category:Blog posts